Okay, so FF seems to have eaten my original review. But this story was awesome, so I don't mind having to retype it. :)

This was a terrific story, and you characterized Bird and Vega perfectly. I always thought Bird seemed to have just the slightest bit of offense at being transferred. It was as if they didn't trust him enough to watch out for Michael after the accident - when Bird knew him so well and had been his partner for years.

I love Vega coming get info from Bird. That boy was one of my favorite characters in the series; he was kind of thrust into the situation but he was determined to do his best and prove himself, even though his promotion was only because the PTB needed someone to baby-sit Michael.

I absolutely love the heart-to-heart these two have here. And the backstory makes perfect sense; I love the idea... And now I want a pre-series fic with that story. Any chance of that happening? ;)